By: Elijah Easter Kaykay
Residents of District #3A in Grand Bassa County are raising urgent concerns over the ongoing lack of access to safe drinking water, a situation that poses serious public health risks, according to local community members.
For the past two years, residents have relied on contaminated creek water for daily activities such as drinking, cooking, washing, and bathing, following the breakdown of their only hand pump. Rhoda Willie, a resident of the community, expressed her distress: “We have been using creek water for everything.
“We drink it, cook with it, wash our clothes, and bathe our children. We have no other choice because the pump is damaged.”
Community elder Mr. Morris Kpogba emphasized the severity of the crisis: “We have been forced to use water from the creek for the past two years, and it is contaminated.
We often have to walk long distances just to find clean water, which is becoming increasingly difficult and dangerous.”
He called on government authorities, non-governmental organizations, and compassionate citizens to provide assistance. “Our people are suffering and falling ill because of this water.
We urgently need help. Our children’s health depends on having access to safe and clean drinking water,” Kpogba urged.
The absence of safe drinking water has resulted to a rise in sickness and disease within the town, which has a population of over 100 residents, further straining local healthcare resources.
The community’s plight underscores the fundamental human right to access safe and clean drinking water.
“This ongoing crisis highlights the urgent need for sustainable water infrastructure development and intervention programs to protect the health and well-being of Suaniwein Town residents and neighboring communities facing similar challenges”, they noted.
